1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly formed of two mating connectors, one connector having a deflectable shunt for commoning at least two terminals when unmated, the other connector deflecting the shunt during engagement. More particularly, this invention relates to a pull to seat connector assembly in which terminals are loaded in one housing from the mating side and the deflectable shunt is in the other connector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 049,633 filed May 13, 1987 discloses an electrical connector assembly in which the receptacle connector contains at least one spring loaded deflectable shunt. That spring loaded deflectable shunt engages receptacle terminals in the one connector when that connector is disengaged from a mating connector. Upon engagement with a mating connector containing a plurality of pins, the deflectable shunt engages a camming member located adjacent the pins to deflect the shunt out of contact with all of the terminals in the first connector. A connector of that type is especially useful in certain automotive applications. For instance, the connector can be used as part of an airbag safety system. The shunted configuration can be employed to detect an unmated or partially mated configuration and can be employed to prevent inadvertent actuation of the airbag system during servicing.
The airbag connector previously referred to is in other respects a standard connector in which the receptacle terminal contacts are crimped to individual wires and then inserted into the connector housing from the rear. So-called pull to seat connectors have been proposed as an alternative to such crimp-snap configurations. A pull to seat connector is a connector in which an unterminated wire is first inserted through an insulating housing from the rear so that the free end of the wire projects beyond the mating face of the housing. The terminals are then crimped to the wires and the wires are pulled to withdraw the terminals into the connector housing. So-called pull to seat connectors provide more secure engagement of the terminal with the housing and simplify the construction of the insulative housing.